'Overwatch' Reworked Symmetra Guide: How To Use Photon Projector, Shield Generator And More Like A Pro

The new Symmetra rework is finally playable in Overwatch , and she’s not as terrible as you remember. When you aren’t trolling Reinhardts, you can see that her new abilities really give her a degree of power on attack and defense. That’s something I definitely couldn’t say about her before this patch.

If you’ve never played Symmetra or just want to know a few cool tricks you can do, here’s a helpful guide on how she currently works.

• Symmetra’s biggest change is the removal of her armor. Kaplan said in his Developer Update series that Symmetra was a very “situational pick” that only excelled on a few select maps. Her new shield should help her be useful, regardless of where the fight takes place.

• The shield has 1000 health and travels in a straight line in front of Symmetra. When it reaches a wall or loses all its health it shatters, so conga lines are now a valid Overwatch strategy. The shield goes on a 10-second cooldown whenever you cast it, so don’t be afraid to drop those shields in some rough spots. My favorite map to use the new shield on is Route 66, you can push the payload safely for a pretty long distance.

• Turrets also got a major buff, Symmetra can hold six at once and they are on a much shorter cooldown. Pull some sneaky moves and drop six under the bridge in Watchpoint: Gibraltar and watch your enemies fall like flies. The range on the turrets is still pretty short, but you can use them less sparingly than pre-rework.

• Photon Projector shoots a couple meters farther. That might sound like an insignificant change, but after playing her on the PTR and now live, I can tell you it matters. Your whip shreds through even the strongest tanks and now you can do it from farther away.

• For the first time in Overwatch, a hero was given two ultimates. Alongside the trusty Teleporter, she now has a Shield Generator. This ability is beyond busted on Defense and on a few maps. It does not need line of sight to give a shield, so if you drop it in a room with blocked entry points, it’s essentially invulnerable. Doing that isn’t easy but on King’s Row and Numbani, it is possible. In those tiny rooms, you can drop a Shield Generator and get some serious value.

How do you like the new Symmetra rework? Tell us in the comments.